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From: martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.misc,net.religion
Subject: Re: objections to humanism
Message-ID: <433@ihuxt.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 22-Apr-84 10:58:10 EST
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Posted: Sun Apr 22 10:58:10 1984
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Nazism is probably a post-Christian phenomenon.  18th century Germans
hated Jews probably no less than early 20th century Germans, yet a
holocaust would have been relatively unthinkable (even if the technology
were available) in the 18th century.  Traditional Christianity favored
degradation and humiliation of Jews but absolutely forbade massacres
(though of course they did occur).  A holocaust became possible because
secularization of 19th century German society broke down traditional
constraints on collective behavior.  

Significantly, the Orthodox Patriachs of Athens and several Rumanian
Patriarchs and the Uniate Archbishop of the Ukraine, who were avowed
antisemites, forbade their congregations to aid the Germans.  In these
areas, traditional Christianity still existed or was the norm.  I am not
sure but I seem to remember that the Germans executed the Patriarch of
Athens and the Archbishop. (A reader could point out the Spanish Expulsion
as actually having been worse than the German Holocaust.  Yet the Catholic
church was officially opposed to expelling the Jews from Spain.)

A similar situation obtains in Iran.  Khomeini is a rather traditional
leader, and feels constrained by Islamic tradition.  Consequently, he has
not massacred the Jewish community as long as they grovel enough (I mean
lick the dirt).  Hafez el-Assad of the modern nationalist secular Baath
party feels no such constraints and has shown a willingness to commit
massacres well beyond the bounds of Islamic tradition.  

The Soviet Union also demonstrates the breakdown of traditional
constraints.  Despite the softness of a large part of the American Jewish
community toward the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union has without any doubt
whatsoever treated its Jews worse than the Czarist Empire.  As rotten as
the Czarist Empire was, it was constrained by the Orthodox tradition. 
Solzhenitsyn wrote an excellent comparison between the behavior of Czarist
soldiers in WWI and the behavior of Soviet soldiers in WWII.

While Christianity is an intolerant religion (I recommend Faith &
Fratricide by Rosemary Reuther) and while this religion has partial
responsibility in the holocaust because it inculcated hatred against Jews
for the past 2 millenia,  real responsibility for the holocaust lies in
the development of secularist, nationalist, humanist and romantic
philosophies which broke down the constraints of traditional society in
Europe during the 19th century.


-- 

                    Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo

         (I don't care what you think about my signature)